Deadlock - Simon Fox

 

Archie Blake lives with his father, a police officer.  It's just the two of them and things haven't been easy since Archie lost his mum and 'race night' (an evening where they practice things like lock-picking and safe-opening) is the only thing that seems to bring them together.  Then one evening, Archie's father doesn't come home on time, and then he is woken by a call from his father instructing him to pack a bag quickly and to get out of the house.  When he meets up with his father, he discovers that he is on the run: he just needs a few days to sort things out.  Unfortunately, he is arrested before the pair can get away, and now it's up to Archie to find out exactly what was going on and prove his father's innocence.  With only a few days before his dad is in court, the race is on.

Having loved Running Out Of Time last summer (you can read my review here), I knew that I would enjoy Deadlock and the thrill of the adventure.  What I wasn't expecting was just exactly how thrilling the book would be!

Archie has clearly had a difficult time and, without his mum, the relationship between him and his father is strained.  It is also evident that Archie is struggling with his emotions and I loved the different calming techniques that were included).  He is thrust into a completely different world with nobody and nothing to help him and is forced to use his wits to help him.  There is a steely determination about him and a drive to get to the truth, no matter what, and yet I liked the fact that he didn't want to break the law whilst doing it - did he manage?  You'll have to read the book to find out!  With only a few leads to go on, he needs all the help he can get, but meeting Bunny (a fiercely independent and strong character) isn't quite what he was expecting.

Told in chapters that are broken into days and times, Deadlock is one heck of a whirlwind and to use the term 'action-packed' would almost be an understatement!  The adventure is thrilling and heart-stopping; the book is literally unputdownable and you will find yourself wondering how many times you can sneak a few more pages, just to find out more!  Dead Lock is a compelling read and guaranteed to raise your heart-rate.  Publishing on the 1st June, Deadlock is a guaranteed hit ... now I'm off for a lie-down to recover!